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Detroit, 8:35 AM
Sat Nov 21
32 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #energy more →

    Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy

    New Prius Vs. Fusion Hybrid Vs. Honda Insight: Which Hybrid Should You Buy?

    GYM Concept Car Powered By Sweat

    2009 Green Car Of The Year Finalists Announced

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Cognitive Friction Cognitive Friction
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    "More than 150,000 cars drive through our Hillside store alone each year"


    I'm trying to focus on the story, but after reading that sentence all I can picture is a horrifying sea of cankles, elbow cleavage, and muffin tops. DEAR GOD MAKE IT STOP
     Reply
    Edited by Cognitive Friction at 07/13/09 4:38 PM Cognitive Friction was starred Cognitive Friction was unstarred
    Image of beercheck beercheck
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Yep. Stealing.
     Reply
    beercheck was starred beercheck was unstarred
    Image of 32ndnote 32ndnote
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Hmmm. Burger King, I think you're being a little selfish here. Mcdonald's is willing to give us energy while you're trying to take it away from us! Someone needs to get their priorities straight.
     Reply
    32ndnote was starred 32ndnote was unstarred
    Image of mr_dude mr_dude
    07/13/09

    @32ndnote: Not to mention free McCafe day. There's tons of energy in 80g of sugar.
     Reply
    mr_dude was starred mr_dude was unstarred
    Image of maximum-sienna maximum-sienna
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    I have a Perpetual Motion machine available for BK. I'll sell them at $100 to each of their locations. It runs of unicorn farts and stupidity.





    So anyway, yes, they are stealing your energy to power their stuff. This is what happens when you let environmentalists govern. You get stupid ideas that go against every law of physics (the 2nd law of thermodynamics comes into mind here).
     Reply
    maximum-sienna was starred maximum-sienna was unstarred
    Image of maximum-sienna maximum-sienna
    07/13/09

    @maximum-sienna: WTF, one week you need to insert the paragraph breaks yourself, the next week it does it for you. Seriously, What was wrong with the old commenting system? The new system doesn't even work for me most of the time (if I time pressing the "stop" button just right, I can get the page to load before it craps out my browser).
     Reply
    maximum-sienna was starred maximum-sienna was unstarred
    Image of Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    A life cycle analysis would probably show that the apparatus will never generate more energy than went into making the thing in the first place, and the costing will show that value of electricity generated will never exceed the capital and maintenance costs.



    As a demonstration, feel-good project it's quite doable. And there are many ways to use a bump to generate electricity, so I'm curious about just what method they will use. But I have trouble seeing it as any sort of larger energy solution.
     Reply
    Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet was starred Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet was unstarred
    Image of that ain't the way to have fun, son that ain't the way to have fun, son
    07/13/09

    @Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet:



    That whole theory behind the economic perpetual-motion machine is fundamentally flawed, of course.



    BUT IT'S NEW.



    Sigh.
     Reply
    that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
    Image of If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    So, in this kinetically-powered future, we all drive YJ Wranglers and 2nd generation Honda Preludes?
     Reply
    If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
    Image of KTown_WhiteBoy KTown_WhiteBoy
    07/13/09

    @FromaBuick6: Lifted 2nd gen 'Ludes at that.
     Reply
    KTown_WhiteBoy was starred KTown_WhiteBoy was unstarred
    Image of Lost in the age of Aerostar Lost in the age of Aerostar
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    can I be the first one to back up over these?
     Reply
    Lost in the age of Aerostar was starred Lost in the age of Aerostar was unstarred
    Image of TimTim TimTim
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Ok, first off kinetic means moving, your car is a device to move you from point A to point B (or window A to window B in this case) so the kinetic energy they're using is not wasted normally, it serves a very necessary purpose.

    Second, this is clean electricity like rinsing off in the Hudson counts as a bath. Granted those cars are normally idling in line, but this is still a gasoline powered Rube Goldberg generator.

    If BK wanted to save the environment they'd shut the drive through down all together. They're just trying to save a buck and it'll got straight in their pocket, not off the price of a Whopper. Too often people confuse being Thrifty with being Green. Make no mistake, this is the former.
     Reply
    TimTim was starred TimTim was unstarred
    Image of jumpyfroggy jumpyfroggy
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Maybe if they used a downhill slope, instead of stealing the energy from the cars, they could use the energy from gravity.



    Of course that would only work if the customer didn't first have to drive up a hill.



    What if they handed out a small hand-crank to each car as they order, and the customer has to crank it a certain number of times before getting to their food? Increase the crank resistance proportional to the number of calories ordered. That way they try to offset the junk they're ingesting.



    Order a salad = 5 cranks

    3 whoppers, fries and a milkshake = better bring a movie, cuz you're gonna be cranking for a while.
     Reply
    jumpyfroggy was starred jumpyfroggy was unstarred
    Image of Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Not a bad idea...and the more Whoppers people eat, the Heavier their cars will get as the year goes on! Soon, the 380 lb dude in the Focus will create enough power to run the shake machine all by himself! WIN!
     Reply
    Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it was starred Bentoboxx, My Tank is full of it was unstarred
    Image of Brimful of Ash on the 78 Brimful of Ash on the 78
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    OK, seems like what I was envisioning (the platforms) is not exactly the same as the video. If there were a drive-thru that was already angled downhill, then you're not "taking" anyone's energy because it would have been wasted as heat in the brakes. But on flat ground, it's definitely coming from the drivers.



    Seems like the ideal application of this is anywhere a speed reduction is already needed, since this would partially replace the braking I mentioned above. Approaching toll booths, speed restricted zones, or even in place of speed bumps.
     Reply
    Brimful of Ash on the 78 was starred Brimful of Ash on the 78 was unstarred
    Image of Brimful of Ash on the 78 Brimful of Ash on the 78
    07/13/09

    @Ash78: F*cking hell. Even when this new commenting system is working for me (10% of the time), it's still impossible to follow any linear logic in conversation. Apologies for my gripes, but I just don't get the need for constant change.



    It's like if GM had invented Kaizen.
     Reply
    Brimful of Ash on the 78 was starred Brimful of Ash on the 78 was unstarred
    Image of TimTim TimTim
    07/13/09

    @Ash78: A strong majority of Americans recently voted in favor of change and hope. So you're kidding yourself to hope for things not to change.
     Reply
    TimTim was starred TimTim was unstarred
    Image of beercheck beercheck
    07/13/09

    @TimTim [Minardi]: There was only a "strong majority" among the young or female.. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
     Reply
    beercheck was starred beercheck was unstarred
    Image of Brimful of Ash on the 78 Brimful of Ash on the 78
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    I've read about these in potential pedestrian applications, but not for cars. Interesting. I have very limited physics background, but basically, isn't this energy provided at the expense of the cars? That is, the cars have to drive up onto a small platform that sinks, if I understand correctly. It's a very, very small amount, but isn't it still just an energy transfer from the driver's fuel tank to the platform?
     Reply
    Brimful of Ash on the 78 was starred Brimful of Ash on the 78 was unstarred
    Image of milo_carrera--fighting the good fight milo_carrera--fighting the good fight
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    They're stealing our kinetic energy! Bastards! I intended to use that energy to regeneratively brake my Prius, thereby saving the world from the horrors of The Man, and now they are squandering my ill-gotten kinetic energy on feeding fat people. Can I sue somebody for enough to buy a baby seal a herring burger every day for a year? Oops. Gotta go, I have my appointment to have my old-liberal-guy pony tail trimmed to proper douchebaggery length.
     Reply
    milo_carrera--fighting the good fight was starred milo_carrera--fighting the good fight was unstarred
    Image of 01NB, now with less 01NB 01NB, now with less 01NB
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Our question is — Will they lower prices on the double Whoppers since we're lazily doing some of the work to power the joint?



    No, cuz then most of their clients (aka fatty fat fats) would eat free!
     Reply
    01NB, now with less 01NB was starred 01NB, now with less 01NB was unstarred
    Image of 01NB, now with less 01NB 01NB, now with less 01NB
    07/13/09


    @01NB: This chick would get money back!
     Reply
    01NB, now with less 01NB was starred 01NB, now with less 01NB was unstarred
    Image of that ain't the way to have fun, son that ain't the way to have fun, son
    07/13/09

    @01NB: Dude.



    Laugh-out-loud funny, and that's tough, being I couldn't fall asleep until after 3AM.
     Reply
    that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
    Image of that ain't the way to have fun, son that ain't the way to have fun, son
    07/13/09

    @I asked her to slide it off y'know people...:



    Click you be gettin'.



    I have to admit, hanging head in shame, I like the Whopper/Double Whopper, though unless the pricing is way low, I don't indulge more than once or twice per annum.



    Just thinking about them, I feel my arteries hardening.
     Reply
    that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
    Image of Elhigh Elhigh
    07/13/09

    In reply to Burger King Drive-Thru To Harness Power Via Kinetic Energy
    Jeez, am I the only one who understands physics? Where do they think the kinetic energy is coming from?



    That's right - from moving cars! And do you think even 10% of the people approaching said kinetic energy strip is going to do it right, and let off the brake so their energy gets absorbed by the system? NO!



    Idiots. The energy is being stolen from the cars' owners. The drivers will open up the throttles a bit to goose over the bump. And now I ask you, show me a power utility that isn't more efficient, more green than even the newest, greenest, fuel-efficientest car.



    [crickets]



    And there you go.



    Thanks for stealing some of my fuel, Burger King!



    Methinks it's time for a revolution at the BK.
     Reply
    Elhigh was starred Elhigh was unstarred
    Image of Elhigh Elhigh
    07/13/09

    @Elhigh:Okay, I've watched the video and maybe I've overreacted a tad. It's possible the action is smooth enough and gradual enough that drivers will use it properly.



    But I doubt it.
     Reply
    Elhigh was starred Elhigh was unstarred
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